LIPAD Pinay
SPARK! came together to launch the Local Inclusiveness Project for the Advancement and Development of Filipino Women (LIPAD Pinay) with the local government of Quezon City, through the Office of City Mayor Joy Belmonte and SEAOIL Foundation. It is a two-year program first successfully launched in June 2017 in 8 pilot barangays of Quezon City: Barangay Culiat, Barangay Central, Barangay Greater Lagro, Barangay Quirino, Barangay UP Campus, Barangay Sta Lucia, and Barangay Sto Cristo. It aims to strengthen and empower the barangays and its members in Gender and Development (GAD) and achieve gender-responsive governance. Also, it is designed to give opportunity to uplift the lives of the women micro-entrepreneurs, their small businesses, and increase their knowledge in business and economic/livelihood skills.
The sustainability of the women-led micro-enterprises depends on the leadership and support of the LGU (Local Government Unit). Using the Gender mainstreaming strategy, 32 LGU officials underwent 3 modules on GAD 1) Gender-sensitivity, 2) Gender Analysis and Tools, and 3) GAD Planning and Budgeting. The program encouraged the barangay leaders to also incorporate women-led initiatives in their GAD plan and budget to pave the way to more livelihood projects including women in their communities. Engaged women underwent coaching from experienced entrepreneurs and institutionalization of micro-enterprises to access opportunities to additional funding lines, improving market access through showcasing products, and developing strong partnerships with other local businesses. They were also given livelihood capacity development pieces of training i.e. Business Mindset and How to Start a Business, Business Ethics, and Marketing and Customer Relations, to start off their micro-enterprise cooperative.
Since the program’s inception in 2017, LIPAD Pinay has become a model of grassroots initiative that empowers women economically while promoting gender-responsive governance, enabling an environment for women economic empowerment, particularly in micro-enterprises. It has been an efficient way to strengthen the LGU capacity to support women entrepreneurs and enhanced participation of women in their communities. The project’s lifeline has been extended with an enhanced focus on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE).
WEE refers to women having access to and control over high-value productive resources, such as information, credit, loans or financial assistance, services training, markets, and technology, and increased control over the business environment. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the following are essential to increase women’s economic opportunities: access to more and better jobs, a business climate that supports women in starting and doing business, a financial sector that gives women financial services tailored to their needs, and greater livelihood security in times of food and fuel crisis. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) refers to WEE projects as those that focus on income-generating activities for women that would allow them to independently acquire their income.
With women’s economic empowerment, women have decent jobs and humane working conditions, while enjoying benefits from wealth-creating opportunities equal with men.
